February 2008

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    What Jobsite Thieves Are After

    Nothing is safe, and nothing is sacred.

     
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    Make Your Jobsites More Secure

    Tips from the field on reducing theft.

     
  • List of Suppliers, Tradesmen, and Artisans for Tradewinds, the 2008 BUILDER Show Home

    Looking for more information on systems, fixtures, and finishes inside Tradewinds, the 2008 BUILDER show home? Try this list of suppliers, tradesmen, and artisans.

     
  • At Shinn Seminar, Builders Get a Dose of Reality to Go With Survival Strategies.

    At Shinn seminar, builders get a dose of reality to go with survival strategies.

     
  • Cold Weather Painting

    Q: I have some homes that need exterior painting, and cold weather is closing in. My painters say they can paint outdoors when it’s as cold as 35 degrees F. Should I be worried?

     
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    Hearthstone Humanitarian Award Winners Use Home Building to Change Lives

    In times like these, people often turn inward, focusing only on their own problems. This year's Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award recipients, however, took a different path and are changing lives in the U.S. and around the world.

     
  • One-Day Seminar for Hardwood Manufacturers

    Seminars for smaller and newly started Eastern hardwood manufacturers are scheduled for 2008.

     
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    The New American Home 2008

    With authentic detailing and conveniences to suit the modern boomer, this stately Gulf Coast plantation home brings a fresh look to Orlando’s luxury market.

     
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    Navigating The Downturn

    Ever the optimists, a clear majority—55 percent—of the 744 home builders who responded to our "State of the Industry" survey say 2008 is the year the downturn hits bottom and the industry begins to recover.

     
  • Reasons that New Homes are a Better Value than Existing Houses

    Sales pros share responses to buyers weighing the choice between new and existing homes.

     
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    Text Messaging is Growing as a Form of Communication

    What’s the one thing that virtually every new-home buyer (and new-home sales agent) has in common? They all have cell phones. And if they’re in their 20s or 30s, chances are they’re using text messaging on a regular basis.

     
  • Top Shelf Products: February 2008

    The latest and greatest building products.

     
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    Production Innnovation Remains Strong Despite Housing Slump.

    Things may not be as rosy for the home building industry as they were, say, two years ago, but the show must go on. Of course, by “show” we mean the International Builders’ Show, which is taking place this year for the last time (for a while) in the land that Mickey Mouse built—Orlando, Fla. From there, it moves to Las Vegas for two years. The show, as always, will have much to offer, which proves that manufacturers are busy even if home buyers aren’t.

     
  • Double-Sided Fireplace Designs

    Q & A: Double-Sided Fireplace Designs. These days I'm building smaller and smarter with an emphasis on innovative design. Fireplaces are an upgrade that most new-home buyers expect, but standard applications can be pretty boring. How can I make them more integral to my plans and show-stopping in their appeal?

     
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    Interview With 2008 NAHB President

    Sandy Dunn of West Virginia brings a legacy of political involvement and a “can do” mindset to the NAHB’s presidency.

     
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    Home Automation

    Builders looking to put a package of Z-Wave products together will want to include the wireless thermostat from Residential Control Systems. The wireless system lets home buyers manage their HVAC system with a remote, over a PC, or with a cell phone. The unit works with all standard gas/electric and heat pump HVAC systems. Pricing starts at $249. Visit www.resconsys.com for more information.

     
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    Concierge Service

    EI’s new system lets builders offer a digital concierge service.

     
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    Home Automation

    A Las Vegas builder now offers Control 4 as standard.

     
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    EcoUrban Homes Brings Green Building to Urban Infill.

    One knock on sustainable housing is that it’s pricey. Green is good, some say, but only for those who can afford it. Not at EcoUrban Homes, a St. Louis start-up that’s bringing green to the masses with LEED Platinum–rated prefabricated homes for urban infill sites throughout the city—and maybe other markets in the near future.

     
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    Timber Products Co. Offers Urea Formaldehyde-Free Resins in its Hardwood Plywood Panels.

    The GreenT line of hardwood plywood panels from Springfield, Ore.-based Timber Products Co. (www.greentproducts.com) is now available with resins containing no added urea formaldehyde, thus reducing emissions that can degrade indoor air quality. The proprietary process also helps the panel line meet federal emissions standards and those of several states, including California's tough CARB air-quality legislation. In addition, the GreenT line features optional -recycled-content core material in its hardwood plywood, MDF, veneer-core, and particleboard-core panels, and all GreenT panels use wood certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative.